Assassination probe
July 7, 2010
A Polish court has ordered the extradition to Germany of an Israeli man wanted in connection with the assassination of a founder of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
The court said Uri Brodsky had three days to appeal his extradition, but the Israeli's lawyer said it was not clear whether he would seek to do so.
"My client can be handed over to German judicial authorities within the framework of judicial procedures over the following matters: falsification of documents and using false documents," Brodsky's lawyer Krzysztof Stepinski told reporters immediately after the ruling.
"But the court did not take into consideration the German extradition request over participation in activities for foreign spy services," Stepinski said.
Brodsky was arrested at Warsaw airport on June 4, after German authorities issued a European arrest warrant for him on the suspicion he helped forge a German passport that was used by a member of a hit squad believed to be behind the killing of Hamas founder Mahmud al-Mabhuh in Dubai in January.
The assassination sparked a diplomatic crisis for Israel after it was revealed the team - believed to be made up of members of Israel's spy agency, Mossad - were using 26 forged passports from Germany, Britain, France, Ireland and Australia.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the killing.
Author: Darren Mara (AFP/Reuters)
Editor: Michael Lawton